Chapter V

1. FOR forty days Capilya remained in Maksabi, teaching and helping the people; and on the fortieth day he said unto them: I go now; the Father desireth p. 469b me. Be ye faithful unto Jehovih, and maintain the sacrifices (worship). The eye of Jehovih is upon you; His ear heareth not only your spoken words; but the thoughts in your hearts. In time after this I will come again unto you, and restore your rites and ceremonies.

2. Jehovih said unto Capilya: Even as thou hast done in Hosagoweth, so shalt thou do in Tibethkilrath; for thither will I also bring My chosen from the Province of Yusitra.

3. So Capilya went to Tibethkilrath, where were assembled more than seven hundred Faithists; and they feared him, saying to one another: Is this not some one sent of the king to entrap us?

4. But when Capilya beheld they feared him, he said unto them: He who hath faith in Ormazd feareth nothing in heaven or earth. For the Father appointeth a time unto all peoples; nor can they make it more or less. Throtona, one of the rab'bahs, said unto Capilya: Art thou indeed one of us? Capilya said: Because I am as I am, I cannot answer thee. If I say I am of thy race, then will not thy people be restored to liberty; for I would suffer death, being a teacher of thy people. If I say I am not of thy race, then thy people will not have faith in me.

5. I say unto thee, I am but a man, even as thou art; neither am I pure and good; for there is but One pure, the Creator. Therefore, put thy faith in Jehovih, and wherein my words and labors are good, render unto me even as to any other man, nor more nor less. And yet, even as thou believest in the Ever Present, so do I; as thou believest not in a man-God, so do not I.

6. Are not all men brothers, and created by the same Spirit? Because the kings acknowledge not this doctrine, they persecute and outlaw thy race. To restore thy people, who are my people also, am I sent into the world. My labor is now upon me; and for that purpose am I here with thee and thy people.

7. This land, around about, I bequeath unto the Faithists; and they shall settle here and till the soil, and reap the harvests, and shall not be driven away. And in time to come I will provide teachers, and the Faithists shall have the right to obtain knowledge.

8. Capilya built altars for the multitude, saying to them: First of all, thou shalt dedicate to God all things thou puttest thy hands to, for without the rites of bestowal upon the Great Spirit, thy people cannot be in harmony. To neglect the rites is to neglect all things. Know ye the doctrines of the ancients?

9. None of the rab'bahs could answer Capilya, and so he said: Ormazd provided your servant with great learning. For this am I sent to you. Know ye, then, the doctrines of the ancients, even from the time of Zarathustra and Brahma:

10. To rise with the sun; to bathe the body once every day; to eat no flesh nor fish; to pray to Ormazd at sunrise, at high noon, at sunset, and before laying down to sleep.

11. Certain philosophers, wise in vanity, said: To rise an hour after the sun is no sin; to bathe one day in seven is sufficient; to eat fish-flesh, which is of cold blood, is no sin. Now, behold, it came to pass that they laid in bed two hours; they ceased to bathe altogether, and as to eating, they halted not with fish-flesh, but ate of all flesh. And sin came upon them; by their behavior they cut themselves off from the Father.

12. Be ye scrupulous in following the texts; and as to him that openeth the door for disobedience, have nothing to do with him or his philosophy.

13. Capilya asked: Why doeth one man a good act rather than a bad act? Why doeth another man a bad act rather than a good one? The rab'bahs said: The first is the speech of Ormazd; the second is the speech of satan; for as these dwell in men, so do they manifest.

14. Capilya said: I am pleased with the answer; for which reason I have before commanded you to build altars and do sacrifice; for these are the expressions of your souls, which testify ye rather would serve the Creator than the destroyer.

15. This was also of the ancient doctrines of Zarathustra; but certain other philosophers, vain in self-knowledge, said: Can not a man worship in the soul, and without building an altar of stone and wood? And the multitude harkened unto them; and they afterward went further, and said: Why worship at all? So, they fell in darkness. A soul without an outward expression of worship standeth on the brink of hell.

16. To see an altar, as we pass along, enforceth upon us the thought of worship, and of Ormazd, the Creator; it leadeth the soul upward. To see evil, or the temptation of it, is to lead the soul toward darkness. Therefore, let men and women be discreet of their persons; but make the altars of sacrifice numerous.

17. Capilya asked: What is the first poison? The rab'bahs knew not how to answer, perceiving Capilya had great learning and wisdom. Capilya said: The first poison is self. One man saith: Rites and prayers are good for the stupid and unlearned; I need them not. I say unto you that that man is drunk on the first poison; let not his breath breathe upon you; for here entereth the wedge of destruction.

18. Capilya said: What is the second poison? But when he perceived none would answer, he said: The first leadeth to the second, which is desire to lead others and rule over them. Htah-ai, one of the rab'bahs, asked: How can we get on without leaders?

19. Capilya said: Suffer no man to lead you; good men are expressions of the All Light. Capilya asked: What is the best and yet the most dangerous thing? Some replied as to one thing, and some as to another. Capilya said: The best and yet most dangerous thing is speech. To talk of good things; of delights; of love; of Ormazd and his wonderful creations; of life and death; of everlasting happiness; these are good speech and give the soul great happiness. To talk of evil; of dark deeds; of one's neighbors; of disgusting things and words; these enrich satan's harvest.

20. Certain three men traveled through a great city, and when they returned home, and the neighbors assembled to hear the story of their travels, one of the travelers related all that he saw, good and bad; another one related only all the bad things he saw; and the other one related only the good things he saw, the delights and most beautiful things. Which, now, of the three, say ye doeth most for the Father's kingdom? The rab'bahs said: The last one. Capilya said: True! Be ye, then, like him even to one another; for by this course only is speech not dangerous, but of profit unto the world.

21. Sufficient is the number of evil men to relate the evils in the world; relate ye the good, for by constantly p. 472b walking in clean ground ye shall remain clean, in word and deed.

22. Search ye both spirits and men, not for the brilliancy of speech, for oft its brilliancy hideth its poison, or stealeth on the senses unawares; but search their words as to holy ideas and good delights, to make man rejoice in his life. He who harpeth on deceivers and liars and debauchees, is a fireman for satan's hells. Reply not to him, lest your speech become a snare to entrap yourselves.